T430s owners'/would-be owners' thread.

Well, just placed my order for a T430s. It was an impulse buy. I habitually price check different systems (T530, X230, X1) trying to determine what I want for my next laptop. I noticed the AT&T 4G option wasn't listed anymore on the X230 so I went to check the T430s which was the other model I knew offered it and saw it still listed so I started playing around with the configuration choices and noticed a pricing anomaly. It looked like by selecting the i5-3320 and Intel HD 4000 combo, it was dropping the price down below the base config, so I kept configuring with add-on things like 1600x900 display, backlight kb, webcam, fp reader, 4-in-1, Intel 6300 and ended up with a price of $744 before discount, which after discount was $632 (US). I really had no choice but to hit the order button right?? Who in their right mind would pass that up? Unfortunately I've never really researched the T430s and after coming and reading some of the posts on this thread (bsod, poor battery, bad display) I'm wondering what I got myself into

 

I'm considering an update from 4GB to 8GB. I could buy the 4GB Corsair Vengeance (CL9 DDR3-1600) for an ok price. I just saw the RAM I have is a Hynday with the same specs, but CAS latency of 11. The Corsair has 9. Is it worth buying 2 Corsair modules and replacing the existing ram? Or is the latency negligible. Will dual channeling work with different latency? Thanks for your opinions.

 

It's a different beast. Likes so far are the size and weight. The performance is really good too. I have not done very much with it though as I know it's going back... Minor quibbles are the hinges give me pause as they are rather easy to move, and the keyboard flex is huge near the arrow keys. The keyboard is also quite loud while typing at a good pace. I need more time with it to be sure its not just me... They left out many pieces of HW that I wanted to evaluate... smart card reader, backlit KB, video cam... so no comments there... The thing I was most concerned about turned out to be a none issue. I ended up with the AUO screen and it's not that bad. The viewing angles suck and the colors are a little washed out, but it's better than I thought it would be in person. I can live with it for the other benefits that the unit offers. I hope to get a Sammy in the replacement... further I hope it's possible to swap in a better LCD at some point with relative ease. But, all in all happy with the purchase and can't wait until my properly configured one arrives.

 

I also think so after reading mark_lenovo's message several times. What Lenovo people do not know is which of T430s built before mid Sept.(the day the fix was put in the production) will have a BSD., which is why they ask anyone with an earlier build before mid Sept. and has experienced BSD to contact them and have them fixed.

 

I don't have any issue on my T430s. I like it as it is silent and stay cool all the time.

 

Kudos to Lenovo! They are building my replacement, and will drop ship it so that i don't have to be without a laptop for the two weeks it will take for the replacement to be processed. That's good service folks! Just figured I'd post something positive, since a lot of posts about service recently have negative connotations.

 

FYI,

I purchased a T430s. Should be here around 11/11. Planning to upgrade it to 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, etc. Looking forward to my first backlit ThinkPad keyboard.

The deal was too good to pass up. Delivered to my door the machine is $933 USD and well configured with nearly all the options I wanted, 3 year depot warranty.

Not as sexy as the Carbon, but not as expensive either.

 

Says who... the T430s is plenty sexy, . That is a good price... Mine has every the best/highest option in every category except the HDD. I got the 7200 rpm 500 GB version there. I also added the 3 year onsite with ADP. Final price ended up being ~1300... GSA negotiated price so I can't complain too much... I'm sure you both will enjoy it!

 

My T430s motherboard got replaced today because of 101 BSOD issue. They used refurbished board for the job, which left me wondering if I got the updated version at all, but most importantly - it was defective, i.e. ThinlkLight won't turn off at all. It stays on until you turn off the machine. Which prompts another question - what else might be wrong that is not so obvious. Secondly, machine got scratched pretty badly during the process where the screws holding the hinges are on the rear. Not a pretty sight and it got me mad.

So, I lost half day of work, got a defective refurbished replacement, got machine scratched so it can not be sold and now they will come again to replace the motherboard (and scratch it more, I suppose). And I will lose another half day from work.

Well, I think this is the last time I am buying machine from le[mo]novo.

 

Tips for onsite service... 1. Stage an area for the tech that lets him know that you care about the condition of your rig. I usually lay out a mat on the dining table 2. Sit and watch for a while. 3. Identify and notate any and all damage before the tech leaves.

Having gone through a similar scenario before, IBM/Lenovo had the same tech come out to apologize as he replaced my computer's case.

 

I definitely hear you and you are absolutely right in your concerns and I can relate to my personal experience with same thing (mother board and the way the agent handled the machine on-site, he basically f... the machine in all ways you can imagine and I was about to yell at him). The agent told me that he needs some time to read the machine's manual before he comes because he never handled one before. Kudos for the honesty! That is basically and do not be so excited when you get on-site warranty. At least, you learned something!

 

Hi. I'm interested in purchasing a T430s but a little bit concerned about the BSOD issue. I read through
the T430s BSOD thread over at the lenovo forum and it seems to indicate that the issue has already been
resolved. Mark_Lenovo said that only some T430s built before 9/7/12 are affected. Do you think his comment
is credible? I'm interested in getting a T430s with i5-3320 with nvidia nvs 5200s. I in fact prefer the integrated
graphics but with the current deal at B&N, the nvidia version with the same configuration is somehow cheaper.
Is the model with nvidia likely to get affected by the issue? Do you think it is safe to make the purchase now?
Any inputs would greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

I have i7 with Optimus on a unit that was manufactured after the fix was implemented, and it has not had a BSOD in the time I've had it. Not to say that it never will but so far so good... The important thing to me is that Lenovo has recognized it and indicated that they will fix it if you experience it...

 

I did. Estimated ship date is 11/11.

 

Thank you very much for the responses. I just placed an order on an T430s
with i5-3320m and Optimus. Estimated ship date is 11/11.

 

I have a system board that was installed in August, and I've had 1 BSOD since then. I never turn the laptop off, and I don't think it was the same error code as the issue everyone is worried about.

It's probably a tiny fraction of T430s that are affected. I wouldn't worry about it/worry about buying it unless you actually have problems.

 

so did anyone upgrade/clean install to windows 8? most of the stuff is updated in t430s drivers page but not all. i do like some of the factory installed lenovo stuff (like power manager and dolby application) which is missing. i think the dolby app is under SWTOOLS.
overall how is it working for you guys?

 

In the Windows 7 image, the Dolby installers are in the SWTOOLS\PCEE folder.

 

I've done an upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8 and a clean install. Both went smoothly.

 

did you manage to get power manager in windows 8? yesterday i tried win 8 clean install on seperate harddisk to test, power manager is not yet posted on drivers site for windows 8 and the setup for windows 7 doesn't run on it. Dolby was success.

 

Thinking of ordering a T430s to replace my 5 year old T61p. (has been trouble free for all these years thats why I'm returning to Lenovo)

Is everyone ordering with Windows 7 or 8?

I do not know much about Windows 8.

 

Good for you. Unless you have a practical (job-related) need to use Windows 8, there's little incentive in upgrading.

Are you also considering the T430? A bit thicker, a bit heavier, but you get the same functionality with more flexibility for less money. A colleague recently bought one (i5-3520M, HD+, 500GB HDD, 6250 WiFi, 6-cell) for $668.

 

Thank you. I will look into the T430.

Are there any promotions going on right now for purchasing Lenovo laptops?

 

Technically, getting Windows 7 instead of Windows 8 at this point is downgrading... no? Especially now that they are both available preinstalled with no price difference for parallel versions. It comes down to whether you are the cutting edge or tried and true type of user. I've convinced myself to try Windows 8 out since it's only 15 bucks. I didn't have the option to get it preinstalled when I ordered.

 

If you're in the US, check Barnes & Noble.

"Downgrading" relative to what?

 

By convention, moving from the latest version of software/OS to an earlier version is referred to as a downgrade. Casting aside opinions about one version relative to another that has been the convention in my experience.

 

Moving from Windows 8 to Windows 7 is a downgrade. Moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 is an upgrade. (By the same convention.)

If I am not currently using Windows 8 and I continue to use my existing Windows 7 (or buy a new computer with Windows 7 on it), how can that be a downgrade?

On the other hand, forcing oneself to install Windows 8 for no good reason is not really an "upgrade."

 

I ordered mine with Windows 7.

 

Semantics... I guess. More poignantly, at the point of sale, given both as choices at the same price point... The consumer in me would consider going with Windows 7 a downgrade as the computers come with Windows 8 now by default... The convention is the the convention after all... Not a big deal either way. Having only used 8 for all of an hour and hating it during the beta... I'll acquiesce.

 

Don't expect the same build quality from T430s. Lenovo has been cutting corners (and prices) recently. It's still a very nice machine though.

Windows 8 is a significant upgrade from Windows 7. However, I would still suggest going with Windows 7 and get an upgrade from Microsoft. It's not a lot more expensive and you get two OS.

 

I have 5 T61's, 1 T430s, and 1 W510 here and the build quality is eerily similar IMO.

 

The T430s build quality is much better than the T400s and T410s, it also is on par with T61.

 

Been searching threads and in this monster thread. Been striking out. Hopefully this belongs here and not a separate thread.

A few T430s questions:
1) Pricing today (nov 4) on Lenovo's website and the NVIDIA graphics card is coming out $45 CHEAPER than the Intel HD Graphics. Is this normal? Any reason why I wouldn't get the NVIDIA if it is cheaper?

2) I am not a big computer guru...is the mSATA "cache drive" helpful? $40. I'm guessing this might be something I can upgrade later on my own? Is there a noticeable performance increase in doing this, or generally not worth the money?

3) I also have the T61 and love it. Should I be considering the T430 in addition to the T430s? My T61 is slightly big and bulky, but manageable for me. Similar or slightly thinner and lighter would be nice.

4) Finally, been so long since I got the last laptop, besides Barnes and Noble, can you still get decent deals on places like Fatwallet on these machines? In general, are Lenovo Black Friday deals excellent? Need the laptop by the end of December before I head back to Germany. Waiting till the end of November, any shipping delays could be a problem for me.

X1 Carbon is on a maybe list for me. But I just don't know that I value thin and light enough to pay all that extra money... Unfortunately the T430u offers poor screen resolution....

 

Every time I've looked, the Optimus model was cheaper.

 

And would ship sooner (or so they claim).

 

Configure without the "cache drive." $40 is money for your extra 4GB RAM module. After you get your notebook, you can upgrade to SSD (if you so choose) by one of three approaches: mSATA SSD in PCIe slot, 2.5" SSD in the main bay, 2.5" SSD in the UltraBay using an UltraBay caddy adapter.

When you install an mSATA SSD (say, 128GB), it is typically set up to be your boot/OS/programs drive, not a cache.

The T30 is definitely less expensive than the T430s. Spend the money if you want "nice." (I would allocate my budget to RAM and SSD upgrade that do make a tangible difference when you use the notebook.)

 

Any reason to pay the extra money for the Intel integrated rather than NVIDIA?

Just shocked me. Never seen it be cheaper than the integrated option before.

 

Pricing is never a logical process, nor a simple addition of part costs. Maybe they want to move the inventory of motherboards that have the NVIDIA GPU.

Buy what you need and feel confident about. (A friend of mine recently bought a "Brand X" SSD on the basis of deep discount. It failed 3 weeks later.)

 

Could I ask to please elaborate exactly what the mSATA SSD cache actually does? This is what I'm having a hard time finding. It isn't a full blown SSD (like X1 Carbon or the Macs), correct. So what exactly does this option do?

Thanks again.

 

The SSD cache does not function as a regular drive that hold the system files and your files. Through a combination of BIOS settings and run-time software (typically licensed from Intel), the frequently used files are saved in the cache, in the hope that, next time, when such a file is accessed, it will be read off the faster cache, rather from the slower spinning mechanical drive.

I would rather install a full-fledged SSD (either mSATA or 2.5") and use it as my boot/OS/programs drive and keep the stock HDD for file storage. That way, the system boots faster and programs launch instantly.

If you asked me, I would not recommend using the cache. Use SSD natively.

 

apart from T430s i7 integrated GPU only model having an thunderbolt port, there is nothing that makes this model particular attractive.

 

Well, that could be said for all of the ThinkPads.

 

Which is better?
Core i5 3220M + NVS 5200 ~ 833$
Core i5 3220M + HD 4000 ~ 839$

i don't know why dGPU is cheaper than iGPU

 

I don't either but I ordered Optimus because if the T430s works like the T410s and T420s, it can use both GPU's to drive several external LCD panels.

 

The dGPU will never drive a display on the T430s. I don't know why they redesigned this feature out, but it's gone (in hardware).

I'm honestly not sure when my dGPU kicks in, but it's definitely better and just the HD4000 for anything other than desktop/browsing/office.

 

I hear your point, but at the same time I don't feel handicapped doing all sorts of stuff with the HD 3000 on the T520 (like editing images and showing 1080p movies). For what they're worth, the Graphics WEI and Gaming Graphics WEI are both 6.9.

BTW, one could do "desktop/browsing/office" quite nicely a few generations ago already.

 

Notebookcheck have given the T430s a good review. 84%, despite only 69% for the display. Oddly enough, all the competitions (like HP8460p, Dell E6420) also have terrible displays.

 

Does anybody knows what is the machine code to check whether there is international warranty? Would the code be different for the base model with 1600*900 display?

Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2

 

I hope you are wrong because that is the complete opposite of how the W530 operates. The NVIDIA discrete chip on the W530 drives all of the ports except the internal LCD panel. If you are right, I will probably return the T430s. Although my wife would never know or care, I don't think I want a machine with that design. Thanks for the heads up. I will certainly be testing the heck out of it when I get a chance early next week.

 

Hello Thor.Hammer, I'm not a sophisticated tech and had a question about your post re: T430s.

I'm very interested in the same model and the upgrades you plan to make. My question is it hard to upgrade to 16GB, 256GB SSD? Are you doing it yourself? Does it compromise the terms of the 3 yr. depot warranty if you modify the computer?

Thanks very much for your time. Sincerely, Mt9